Frequently Asked Questions

Ekklesia was an official term used by the Greek and Roman Empires, and it referred to the ruling council of citizens in each municipality. When Jesus said He was establishing His ekklesia in Matthew 16:18, He was starting His government - the government of Heaven - on earth.   

 1. Church = a physical building 

 2. Ekklesia = those called out to govern

We see this clearly in scripture.  Ekklesia appears 117 times in the Greek New Testament and it is translated "church" in almost every Bible 114 times - when it is referring to believers. The other 3 all occur in Acts 19 and are translated "assembly" most of the time.  Why this difference? Because here the term is referring to the ruling counsel of Ephesus. 

Currently we are holding informal gatherings at 10am in Estero park on Sundays. Everyone local to SWFL looking for a gathering of believers outside of the traditional church experience are welcome to join.  We also host prayer and fellowship Zoom meetings every weekday morning at 7:30 EST and Wednesday night Bible Study Q&A at 7pm. 

The Bible doesn't actually use the word "church" in its original language.  That was inserted about 1500 years later, likely because the English government wanted to maintain control and influence over the people.  The biblical model of early gatherings was devotion to fellowship, prayer, Bible study and having meals together.  To do "church" biblically, just get together with other believers, talk, study, pray, eat. No agenda, just enjoy time with each other and build one another up.

We currently meet in Estero Park on Sunday morning at 10 - please use the contact page to confirm the location. We also meet via Zoom every weekday morning at 7:30 EST and 7pm on Wednesdays for Bible Study Conversations.

We would love to see meetings happening 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!  If you would like to meet with David to talk about starting your own meeting, email him

Absolutely!  We aren't trying to steer people away from church - we want to help people grow wherever God has them planted.  If attending a traditional church is important to you, it could be that is where God wants you to be.  Maybe He even wants to you use to help others see beyond what Sunday mornings have to offer.  While attending a church service might be helpful, we all need much more fellowship than what can happen in a worship service.  

On the other hand, if you are attending a church out of guilt or obligation, it might be that God is drawing you out.  If you would like prayer or a counseling session to work through this, email David.

The early Christians were devoted to studying the scripture, eating together, praying together and spending time together developing their relationships accordint to Acts 2:42.  That word devoted could be translated "continued steadfastly" or "were constantly diligent."  They didn't meet once or twice a week for an hour or two, they made the Christian faith their highest priority every day.  they met as close to daily as possible and they enjoyed the benefit of knowing one another and being known.  They weren't lonely, depressed or stressed like many of us are today.  What if we gave up netflix and started praying together instead?  Wht might we see God do?

As much as I (David) love talking about scripture, teaching and am passionate about biblical truth, I've found that doctrinal statements tend to divide and hinder us more than help us grow. We are not here to recite what other people have decided is true - we are here to search the scriptures ourselves and learn from God what is true.  We would love to talk with you about the Bible and answer any questions you have about different teachings, but we will rarely (if ever) tell you what to believe.